Nicanor Shocks Denman

Nicanor floored hot favourite Denman to give the huge Irish contingent plenty to cheer about as he took the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

Noel Meade's charge was cruising approaching the final bend as Denman hit the front and Paul Carberry just bided his time on the 17-2 shot before easing away on the run-in for a two-and-a-half-length success.

The mare Refinement stayed on up the hill to claim third under Tony McCoy, a further six lengths away.

'He's a real class horse. We had a couple of problems with his jumping early on but he jumped brilliant today and travelled really well,' Carberry told Racing UK.

'He cruised the whole way there and turning in I knew I had Ruby (Walsh) covered.

'He's special. Noel has said he could be a Gold Cup horse and he might not be too far wrong.'

Meade, who suffered a reverse with Sweet Wake in the opener on day one, was far from surprised at the result.

'We've always thought he was a very good horse. He's always worked well at home and he's been in fantastic form,' he told Channel 4 Racing.

'Having said that I couldn't actually be sure he was going to beat the other horse (Denman).

'He's got plenty of pace and he's a very nice horse.

'It was fabulous. He'll go to Punchestown where he will end his novice hurdling campaign and he will go over fences next year and be a three-mile novice chaser.'

Paul Nicholls was delighted with Denman's performance but the six-year-old is also now set to tackle fences.

He said: 'He's a three-mile chaser so the ground has probably just quickened up for him. Nicanor was always travelling well behind him.

'That's it now ? he will go chasing in the autumn.

'When we bought him at the start of the season we never thought he would be good over hurdles, let alone end up here, but he's done really well.

'That was his last run over hurdles and it will be three-mile chasing next year.'

Owner Paul Barber added: 'I hope the next time you see him he will be three-mile chasing.

'We've been beaten by a decent horse and there are no excuses.

'Ruby felt he might have been better with a bit more cut in the ground but take nothing away from the winner.'

? PA Sport